Dumbo

Disney animated movie expert Leonard Maltin calls Dumbo his favorite of all, noting that it makes him cry every time he watches it, and claiming that the abstract "Pink Elephant" sequence is the finest piece of animation ever filmed. His remarks are among the extra features of the 60th anniversary DVD edition of Dumbo (Disney, $29.99). Also included is the first look at work on a video-premiere sequel being produced that develops the other baby animals in the circus depicted briefly in Dumbo.

The next phases of Disney's Fantasyland expansion are set to open in July and by the holidays. When the project is finished, Fantasyland will be almost doubled in size. Set to open in July is the second Dumbo ride in Storybook Circus. The first Dumbo opened in March, along with a new train station and the Barnstormer roller coaster. The water-play area, Casey Jr. Splash 'N' Soak Station, will also open in July. The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast-themed attractions will be open in time for the holidays.

The next phases of Disney's Fantasyland expansion are set to open in July and by the holidays. When the project is finished, Fantasyland will be almost doubled in size. Set to open in July is the second Dumbo ride in Storybook Circus. The first Dumbo opened in March, along with a new train station and the Barnstormer roller coaster. The water-play area, Casey Jr. Splash 'N' Soak Station, will also open in July. The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast-themed attractions will be open in time for the holidays.

Each spring and summer, Central Florida's theme parks ready themselves for their busiest season, welcoming families with bunches of new attractions. This year is no different, with a variety of new enticements available to visitors. Here's some of what's on tap arranged alphabetically by park name: Busch Gardens, Tampa Bay A new ice show, “Iceploration” - the biggest ever at the park - combines world-class skaters, larger-than-life puppets, amazing costumes, original music and even animal stars to tell the story of a tech-savvy preteen Austin and his grandfather.

The impeachment of George Bush would be a very bad idea. It would mean taking the reins of government from Dumbo and putting them into the hands of Attila the Hun. Unless we could achieve a two-for-one deal, this would not result in a positive change for our country. We therefore approve of the call to censure our present leader and pray that the upcoming election wiresult in improving our nation's fortunes.

For most children, the term "circus elephant" conjures up an image of a friendly, gentle animal like the cute flying Dumbo in the old Walt Disney cartoon. But elephants also are large and unpredictable beasts that occasionally rebel against their forced relocation from the wild to the service of man. Kelly, a 10,000-pound Indian elephant employed by the Great American Circus, demonstrated the scary flip side of the Dumbo cliche last weekend during a performance at Palm Bay in Central Florida.

For moviegoers who think they have seen everything, consider this: In The Chase, Charlie Sheen and Kristy Swanson make love in the front seat of a BMW traveling at 85 mph while pursued by six police cars and a TV-news helicopter. Far more stupid things occur in The Chase, an ill-conceived, numbingly stagnant action-comedy, which Sheen also produced. From the initial setup, where Jack Hammond (Sheen), a felon on the lam, kidnaps whiny heiress Natalie Voss (Swanson) using a candy bar as a gun, this mess veers out of control.

Each spring and summer, Central Florida's theme parks ready themselves for their busiest season, welcoming families with bunches of new attractions. This year is no different, with a variety of new enticements available to visitors. Here's some of what's on tap arranged alphabetically by park name: Busch Gardens, Tampa Bay A new ice show, “Iceploration” - the biggest ever at the park - combines world-class skaters, larger-than-life puppets, amazing costumes, original music and even animal stars to tell the story of a tech-savvy preteen Austin and his grandfather.

At last! Disney has finally made a movie for an older audience! Teens, put away those Lion King videos and spend your hard-earned cash on a ticket to Operation Dumbo Drop. This slightly violent but enjoyable comedy took me completely by surprise, and it did so with style. Dumbo Drop provides a lighter moment of Vietnam, as inspired by a U.S. Army officer. Keep in mind - the title is misleading, and the hordes of young'uns sitting in front were anticipating their favorite big-eared cartoon character.

In Vietnam, John Scott Gantt was known as a Green Beret who could get things done. A captain with the 5th Special Forces, Gantt was 30 years old in 1968 when he devised a scheme to fly a pair of elephants cross-country to a remote mountain village. Gantt's animal adventure forms the basis of Disney's Operation Dumbo Drop, which opened in theaters Friday. Although the movie is based on a real event, the filmmakers took lots of liberties with the facts. "If you had to pick somebody that was me, it would be Danny Glover," chuckles Gantt, who lives in Cross City.

The impeachment of George Bush would be a very bad idea. It would mean taking the reins of government from Dumbo and putting them into the hands of Attila the Hun. Unless we could achieve a two-for-one deal, this would not result in a positive change for our country. We therefore approve of the call to censure our present leader and pray that the upcoming election wiresult in improving our nation's fortunes.

Disney animated movie expert Leonard Maltin calls Dumbo his favorite of all, noting that it makes him cry every time he watches it, and claiming that the abstract "Pink Elephant" sequence is the finest piece of animation ever filmed. His remarks are among the extra features of the 60th anniversary DVD edition of Dumbo (Disney, $29.99). Also included is the first look at work on a video-premiere sequel being produced that develops the other baby animals in the circus depicted briefly in Dumbo.

At last! Disney has finally made a movie for an older audience! Teens, put away those Lion King videos and spend your hard-earned cash on a ticket to Operation Dumbo Drop. This slightly violent but enjoyable comedy took me completely by surprise, and it did so with style. Dumbo Drop provides a lighter moment of Vietnam, as inspired by a U.S. Army officer. Keep in mind - the title is misleading, and the hordes of young'uns sitting in front were anticipating their favorite big-eared cartoon character.

In Vietnam, John Scott Gantt was known as a Green Beret who could get things done. A captain with the 5th Special Forces, Gantt was 30 years old in 1968 when he devised a scheme to fly a pair of elephants cross-country to a remote mountain village. Gantt's animal adventure forms the basis of Disney's Operation Dumbo Drop, which opened in theaters Friday. Although the movie is based on a real event, the filmmakers took lots of liberties with the facts. "If you had to pick somebody that was me, it would be Danny Glover," chuckles Gantt, who lives in Cross City.

For moviegoers who think they have seen everything, consider this: In The Chase, Charlie Sheen and Kristy Swanson make love in the front seat of a BMW traveling at 85 mph while pursued by six police cars and a TV-news helicopter. Far more stupid things occur in The Chase, an ill-conceived, numbingly stagnant action-comedy, which Sheen also produced. From the initial setup, where Jack Hammond (Sheen), a felon on the lam, kidnaps whiny heiress Natalie Voss (Swanson) using a candy bar as a gun, this mess veers out of control.

For most children, the term "circus elephant" conjures up an image of a friendly, gentle animal like the cute flying Dumbo in the old Walt Disney cartoon. But elephants also are large and unpredictable beasts that occasionally rebel against their forced relocation from the wild to the service of man. Kelly, a 10,000-pound Indian elephant employed by the Great American Circus, demonstrated the scary flip side of the Dumbo cliche last weekend during a performance at Palm Bay in Central Florida.

NBC begins an exclusive -- and praiseworthy -- run of classic, Walt Disney features with tonight`s telecast of 1941`s Dumbo (8-10 p.m., WPTV-Ch. 5 and WSVN-Ch. 7). This charming cartoon feature about a baby circus elephant (with huge ears and an inferiority complex) and his rodent friend, Timothy the Mouse, runs a mere 64 minutes. NBC will precede it with the Disney animated featurette, Mickey and the Beanstalk, with Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy; and a cartoon, Lambert, the Sheepish Lion.

What is most appalling about Disney's uncharacteristically misguided Operation Dumbo Drop is not its bloated length, walk-through acting or implausible premise. The chief offense comes from Disney itself, which is marketing this violent Vietnam road-picture directly at the Dumbo crowd. TV commercials that have been running endlessly during after-school cartoon blocks are patently misleading. The film barely qualifies as a comedy, and it is definitely not for anyone under 12, let alone toddlers.

NBC begins an exclusive -- and praiseworthy -- run of classic, Walt Disney features with tonight`s telecast of 1941`s Dumbo (8-10 p.m., WPTV-Ch. 5 and WSVN-Ch. 7). This charming cartoon feature about a baby circus elephant (with huge ears and an inferiority complex) and his rodent friend, Timothy the Mouse, runs a mere 64 minutes. NBC will precede it with the Disney animated featurette, Mickey and the Beanstalk, with Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy; and a cartoon, Lambert, the Sheepish Lion.